We were lucky to catch up with Whitney Shefte recently and have shared our conversation below.

Whitney, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I’ve had incredible opportunities to make short documentaries all over the world, especially during my time as a video journalist at the Washington Post. One of the most meaningful projects I made was when I embedded with the journalism class at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in the aftermath of the horrific shootings there in 2018. I had been on the ground to cover the breaking news the morning after the shootings and when it became clear that the story would be in the news for a while, Alice Li and I pitched doing a bigger project on the issue. We followed the journalism class for about two months as they produced their memorial issue on the students and teachers who had been killed, telling the story of what it meant for them to cover their school while grappling with their own grief.

In the end, we made a 20-minute film by focusing on two of the students and the teacher. It felt like a powerful way to go deeper on the mass shooting epidemic happening in the U.S. As someone who identifies as both a filmmaker and a journalist, these are the types of stories I find most meaningful – projects that are timely and relevant told through the lens of the people who are impacted by the issues.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

When I was in college, I studied photojournalism, with plans to be a still photographer. But when I got an internship at the Washington Post, I quickly fell in love with video. I learned how moving pictures and sound can immerse viewers in unique and powerful ways. So I built upon all I had learned about photojournalism and adapted it to the video space. While I was at the Post, I had the opportunity to make short documentaries, news videos, live video programming and interactive projects. After I left the Post at the end of 2023, I added feature-length documentary, nonprofit and corporate work to my resume.

Because video journalists are often required to do all aspects of production, I’ve had years of experience mastering directing, producing, filming and editing. Whether it’s coordinating shoots, doing the research, conducting the interviews, operating the camera, lighting the scene, running the sound or piecing together the narrative, I’ve done it all. I’m especially good at verite, scene-driven storytelling and situations that require building intimacy with a story participant. And I do everything from 30-second social cuts to feature-length documentary work.

Have you ever had to pivot?

At the end of 2023, about 700 Washington Post employees received buyout offers. Our video team, myself included, were among these. Besides walking dogs and waiting tables, working at the Post was the only job I had ever had. So this felt like a special opportunity to try something different and gain new skills. But it was the hardest decision I ever made to leave the stability and prestige of working for a globally-renowned publication.

When I began my freelance career in 2024, I had to learn how to build a website and find clients. I also had to learn new technical skills and how to deal with budgets. Negotiating rates and coordinating with clients was a whole new experience. But I’ve adapted and learned a ton, and have had some fantastic opportunities during my time work independently. I’ve been able to work with the New York Times, Bloomberg, Business Insider, TIME, the Independent, McClatchy and, of course, the Washington Post. And my clients now also include non-news types such as the World Bank, HGTV, various nonprofit organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and Campaign Legal Center, and work on documentary films.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Nearly two decades into my career, I still believe storytelling can change the world. One project I worked on about harmful chemicals found in waterways in West Virginia led the EPA to take action to clean it up. Another short film about a woman tortured and raped by Russian forces in Ukraine led to a human rights organization investigating whether what took place could be considered a war crime. A story about a high school student struggling to graduate in a place plagued with poverty and gun violence inspired the audience to raise funds to pay for the student’s college tuition. A piece about undocumented migrants made homeless and jobless from a wildfire led to a fundraising campaign that helped the family afford a new apartment. These are real, measurable changes that occurred as a result of stories reaching viewers. Now that I’m independent, I strive to keep making work like this that ignites change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.whitneyshefte.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitneyshefte/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wshefte/
• Twitter: @whitneyshefte

Image Credits

Whitney Shefte